Apparatus for producing spectacular effects.



I No. 642,8!9.

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING SPECTACULAR EFFECTS.

(No Model.)

Patented Feb. 6, I900. W. FREEZE.

(Application filed July 26, 1899.)

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UNiTnn STATES PATENT FFICE.

WVILLIAM FREEZE, OF NENV YORK, N. Y.

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING SPECTACULAR EFFECTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 642,819, dated February6, 1900.

Application filed July 26, 1899.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM FREEZE, a citizen of the United States,residing in the borough of Manhattan, city of New York, county and Stateof New York, have invented acertain newand useful Improvement in Devicesfor Producing Spectacular Effects, of which the following is aspecification.

The object of my invention is to provide for the purpose of theatricalperformances means for flashing miniature incandescent electric lampscarried by devices designed to be rotated and balanced upon pivots invarious combinations to produce various effects.

In carrying my invention into effect I arrange miniature incandescentelectric lamps in any effective manner upon the device to be rotated,and these lamps are electrically connected to contact-plates, one ofwhich is preferably arranged to form a center for a pivot-rod. Thispivot-rod is preferably of metal and forms one side of the circuit. Thecircuit to the other contact-plate is completed by a light flexiblecontact-spring of good conductivity. In such performances it is usual torotate the device by hand, by placing it directly upon the pivot-rod andimparting a rapid rotary movement thereto, or the device may be tossedupward and engaged by the pivot-rod as it descends, a rotary movementbeing imparted to the device as it is tossed upward, or the device maybe placed upon the pivot-rod and slightly rotated and the rate ofrotation increased by impartinga rapid circular oscillating motion tothe pivotrod, as is well understood. In either case the device providedwith incandescent electric lamps must be capable of being readily placedupon or removed from the pivot-rod, and the arrangement and constructionof the rotating device and pivot-rod must notmaterially increase theWeight and friction. When a group of such devices is employed, thefriction at the moving contact parts must not materially retardrotation, since it is essential that the speed of rotation of the firstand last device set in motion must not vary perceptibly. Otherwise thedisplay will not be eifective.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a plan viewillustratingmyinvention applied Serial No. 725 ,143. (No model.)

to a tambourine, and Fig. 2 is a cross-section on the line w an of Fig.1.

Referring to the drawings, A and B indicate, respectively, the rim andhead of an ordinary tambourine.

0 show miniature incandescent electric lamps mounted in suitable socketsattached to the inner side of head B, or they may be attached to theinner side of the rim. These lamps are preferably connected in seriesbetween a contact-plate D and a light contactspring E, secured toopposite sides of a disk F, of insulating material, which is secured tothe inner side of the tambourine-head in any suitable manner. Thecircuit connections are from plateD by insulated wire 1 to lampsocket 0,wire 2 to socket 0, wire 3 tosocket c and wire 4 to spring-contact E.

Disk F and the tambourine-head are perforated in the center, and overthe perforations plate D is provided with a depression 01 to form apivot-center adapted to receive the pivot-rod G, on which the tambourineis designed to be rapidly rotated. The pivot-center is preferably withinthe tambourine and as near as practicable to the center of gravity inorder to properly balance the tambourine. This rod is connected to oneside of a battery or electric-light circuit, and on this rod is aninsulated magnetic collar H, with which flexible contact-spring E isadapted to make contact. To collar H is attached an insulated conductorH, which is connected to the other side of a battery or electric-lightcircuit.

In practice a number of tambourines are rotated upon a set of pivots G,mechanically connected together and of varying lengths to form a pyramidor other combination of rotating tambourines, and the conductors G and Hare connected bya pair of conductors to a suitable attachment-plug orother form of connecting device, said pair of conductors and connectingdevice being concealed by the clothing of the performer. The connectingdevice is so carried that a connection may be readily made withterminals arranged on a chair, table, or on the floor or other suitableor convenient place without being observed by the audience. In practicethe tambourines are first set in motion,,and

then the performer makes the connection with the circuit, and at thedesired time the performer or other person closes a concealed switch orswitches, whereupon magnetic collars H attract the contact-springs E,whereby the circuits to the lamps are all closed at once or in sets,thus producinga pleasing effect. The lamps may be of different colorsand arranged to be flashed, by means of switches,in one color and incombinations of colors.

It will be understood that the particular arrangement of the lamps andcontact-plates may be varied without departing from the spirit of myinvention, and it will also be understood that my invention is notlimited in its application to tambourines, since it is evident that thisarrangement may be applied to any other device or devices rotated singlyor in numbers upon one or more pivots to produce spectacular effects,the rotary movement being imparted to said devices by hand in any of theways above referred to or any other way by hand as distinguished fromdevices rotated by belts, gear-wheels, or other mechanical means.

What I claim is 1. In apparatus of the character herein described forproducing spectacular effects, the combination of a device adapted to berotated by hand, electric lamps mounted thereon, two contacts carriedthereby, one of said contacts constituting a pivot-center, a pivotrodfor said device making electrical contact with said pivot-center, and aninsulated contact for making traveling contact with the other contact onthe rotating device, substantially as set forth.

2. In apparatus of the character herein described for producingspectacular effects, the combination of a device adapted to be rotatedby hand, electric lamps mounted thereon, a central contact-plate carriedby said de vice and forming a pivot-center, a pivot-rod for said devicemaking electrical contact with said plate, a flexible contact carried bysaid device, and an insulated contact-collar on said pivot-rod withwhich said flexible contact engages, substantially as set forth.

3. In apparatus of the character herein described for producingspectacular effects, the combination of a device adapted to be rotatedby hand, electric lamps mounted there on, a central contact-platecarried by said device and forming a pivot-center, a pivot-rod for saiddevice making electrical contact with said plate, a flexible contactcarried by said device, and an insulated magnetic contactcollar on saidpivot-rod with which said' flexible contact engages, substantially asset forth.

4. In apparatus of the character herein described for producingspectacular effects, the combination of a device adapted to be rotatedby hand, electric lamps mounted thereon, a contact-plate carried by aring of insulating material secured to said device, said plate having adepression to form a pivotcenter, a contact-spring mounted upon theopposite side of said insulating-ring, a pivotrod for said device makingelectrical contact with said plate, and an insulated contact-collar onsaid pivot-rod with which said contactspring engages, substantially asset forth.

5. In apparatus of the character herein described for producingspectacular effects, the combination of a tambourine adapted to berotated by hand, electric lamps mounted thereon, two contacts carriedthereby, one of said contacts constituting a pivot-center, a pivot-rodfor said tambourine making electrical contact with said pivot-center,and an insulated contact for making traveling contact with the othercontactou the tambourine, substantially as set forth.

6. In apparatus of the character herein described for producingspectacular effects, the combination of a tambourine adapted to berotated by hand, electric lamps mounted thereon, a contact-plate carriedby a ring of insulating material secured to said tambourine, said platehaving a depression to form a pivot-center, a contact-spring mountedupon the opposite side of said insulating-ring, a pivot-rod for saiddevice making electrical contact with said plate, and an insulatedcontact-collar on said pivot-rod with which said contact-spring engages,substantially as set forth.

This specification signed and witnessed this 22d day of July, 1899.

WVILLIAM' FREEZE.

\Vitnesses:

JNo. R. TAYLOR, ARCHIBALD G.

